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How is Social Connection Represented in the Brain?
Using the Brain to Reveal Mental Representations of Subjective Connection
Who can join
Ages 18 to 65 · All sexes · Healthy volunteers welcome
Full eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * safe for MRI scanning * not taking psychiatric medication Exclusion Criteria: * not safe for MRI scanning * taking psychiatric medication
About the study
Nearly half of the U.S. population sometimes or always experiences loneliness, which is alarming given that loneliness confers risk for negative mental and physical health outcomes. Extensive research suggests loneliness is characterized by subjective isolation: many lonely individuals maintain a number of relationships but still report feeling lonely. The goal of this proposal is to use functional magnetic resonance imaging to reveal how the brain represents our subjective connection to and isolation from other people, which will ultimately inform optimal ways to intervene to reduce loneliness.
What is being tested
- Basic Science Experiment (other)
Sponsor: Columbia University · Participants: 248 · Started: Apr 1, 2021
Contact the study team
- Meghan L Meyer, PhD · Phone: 650-521-1701
Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT04577911
Locations in the U.S.
| New York | Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York |
From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Oct 2, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.